LET US NURTURE NATURE

Each World Environment Day is organized around a theme that focuses attention on a particularly pressing environmental concern. The theme for 2017, ‘Connecting People to Nature’, urges us to get outdoors and into nature, to appreciate its beauty and to think about how we are part of nature and how intimately we depend on it. It challenges us to find fun and exciting ways to experience and cherish this vital relationship.

Mr. Wilfred Longronyang' (CEC Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural Resources) watering a tree during the event

As the rest of the world marked this very important day, its theme being; Connecting People With Nature, Through the Eyes of the Children, Mr. Wilfred Longronyang’ CEC in the ministry of Environment, Water & Natural Resources in conjunction with The National Environment Authority(NEMA), led the various stakeholders in the celebrations held in Treasury grounds, Kapenguria.Speaking on behalf of The Governor in the event that saw various representatives from Food and Agricultural Organization(FAO)- Giuseppe De Bac, Kenya Forest Service(KFS)- Joseph Nyongesa, WARMA, KVDA, and ASDSP join the celebrations, Mr. Longronyang maintained that climate change is real and a huge challenge to the whole world; the adverse effects of it having being witnessed in various parts of the country due to drought. “We witnessed our people lose their animals across the county, the price of basic commodities skyrocketed as a result of the drought. We need to put an end to this.”

Mr. Giuseppe De Bac, FAO Projects Manager

He put emphasis on the importance of planting trees and having a 10% tree cover to ensure that there is adequate rainfall across the county and country as a whole.On the issue of solid wastes, the CEC said that the County Government is in full support of the ‘Plastic Ban Act’ which will take effect as from 28th August this year. “We need to go the Rwandan way of achieving a clean environment. The ban of plastics will come in handy in making great strides towards this goal. The lobbies to stop the ban won’t stop us from actualizing that which we have set.”

Mr. Christopher Muchiri : County Director, NEMA

Alfred Tulel, Chief Officer in the Ministry of Environment also put emphasis on the need to have a 10% tree cover, especially in this county where most residents have been cutting trees for charcoal, "We cannot keep depleting our natural resources as has been the norm in the past years. It’s about time we all realized that man is both creature and moulder of his environment. Let’s nurture it.”

The NEMA county Director- Christopher Muchiri while giving out a history of The World Environment Day, said as NEMA, their key objective is to ensure that mother nature is taken care of.‘Without a healthy environment, we cannot end poverty or build prosperity. That is why we not only need to plant trees as has been the tradition, we need to protect and nurture them. We cannot achieve a 10% tree cover if we cut and fail to replace them.”- Muchiri.Muchiri reiterated the need to also protect water catchment areas, as the starting point to a clean environment, “This day began about 43 years ago and the importance of this day was emphasized in the United Nations calendar. This just shows us that nature is us.”NEMA in collaboration with the county government donated tree seedlings to schools and to the residents who were part of the celebrations, with a promise from the county government to give out a million seedlings on a subsidized price in the next financial year to residents.